FPRA Wants New Leasehold Law to Tackle Rising Fuel Poverty

The federation of private residents associations (FPRA), a member of the end fuel poverty coalition, is backing the National energy action (NEA) Warm Homes campaign to protect the most vulnerable households from fuel poverty. The FPRA comments that millions of people still struggle to keep their homes warm, leading to health impacts and general wellbeing. The government has announced a programme aimed at addressing energy efficiency. The FPRA is now calling for changes to the landlord and Tenant act in allowing for ‘reasonable’ insulation to be carried out to blocks of flats as part of the service charge. Legislation on energy efficiency and grants currently exclude people living in leasehold flats since the grants benefit the individual homeowners rather than those in communal arrangements. The typical flat owner is likely to find that he is not able to install loft insulation or cavity wall insulation because the roof space and the cavities in the external walls belong to the ground landlord.